Automatic railway-switch.



No. 680,338. Patented Aug. 13, I901. C. F. LUTHER.

AUTOMATIQ RAILWAY SWIT CH.

(Application filed Dec. 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT} OFFICES CHARLES F. LUTHER, OF PAWTUOKET, RHODE ISLAND.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part 'of Letters Patent N 0. 680,338, dated August 13, 1901.

Application filed December 21, 1900. Serial No. 40,627. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F, LUTHER, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Pawtucket, county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Auto matic Railway-Switches and I do hereby declare the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

- My invention relates to means for automatically throwing a railway-switch designed to be operated from the car. The device is especially adapted for use on electric street-railways to be operated by the motorman at his will, and the construction of my improvement is such that it may be operated at any desired distance in advance of the switch.

The object of my invention is to secure a direct and positive manipulation of the switch-tongue and to produce a durable and simple device easily assembled and not liable to disarrangement.

In previous devices of this character the construction has commonly been such that the switch-tongue cannot be moved by hand or by a switch-bar on the surface, as the mechanism operated from the car looks the switch after it has thrown it, and it can only be unlocked and thrown back to its first position by another movement of the mechanism operated from the car. To overcome this objection is a further object of my invention.

To these ends myinvention consists in the combination, with a switch-tongue, of a rockshaft provided with a projecting arm and a cam-wheel provided with a cam-groove to engage said arm, said cam-groove being so constructed that the forward movement of the cam-wheel will successively rock said shaft to move the switch-tongue first in one direction and then in the other.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway-switch, showing my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line a; m,

Fig. 1, showing a portion of acar with operating mechanism attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side View of the cam-wheel, showing the cam-groove therein; and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line w m, Fig. 4.

In the drawings, 1 represents the main line of track, and 2 a track diverging from the main line. At the junction of these two lines is an ordinary pivoted switch-tongue 3, such as is commonly used on street-railways. From the inner side of the switch-tongue 3 projects a pin 4, to which is connected one end of a connecting-rod 5. The other end of this connecting-rod 5 is connected to a rockarm 6 on the rock-shaft 7, located beneath the roadway between the rails and extending substantially parallel therewith, said rock-shaft being mounted in bearings 8, secured to the ties, as shown in Fig. 2. Secured to the rockshaft 7 near its other end is an arm or projection 9, the end of which enters the cam-groove 10, formed on one side of the cam-wheel 11. If desired, the arm 9 may be provided at its end with an antifriction-roller. The camgroove 10 is made waving or sinuops, as shown in Fig. 4, to impart an intermittent reciprocation to the arm 9, which rocks the shaft 7 first in one direction and then in the other. By reason of the fact that the converging portions of the cam-groove merge into each other, as shown at 10, the switch is not locked in position on an extreme throw in either direction, as the arm 9 when it has traversed a curve orwave is in a position to start on the next succeeding curve. Thus the switch-tongue can readily be operated from the surface by hand without disconnecting the operating mechanism therefrom. Said cam-groove 10 is undercut, as shown in Fig. 5, to allow arm 9 to travel at an angle as it is raised or lowered from a horizontal plane. On the other side of the cam-wheel 11, which is mounted on a shaft 12, so as to turn in a vertical plane adjacent to and parallel with the rock-shaft 7, are formed at equal distances around the circumference, near its periphery, the projections or bosses 13, extending at right angles to the side of said cam-wheel. The cam-Wheel 11 is so mounted that the projections or bosses 13 will be directly beneath a slot 14 in the roadbed. It is preferred to have the slot 14 located in the center of the road-bed, as with this arrangement by a reversal of the camwheel and the location of the rock-shaft on the other side of the slot a switch on the other side of the track may be operated through the same slot. Thus by the employment of two rock=shafts, one on either side of the slot, and two cam-wheels arranged to operate said shafts two switches, one on either side of the track, may be operated.

through the same slot and only one push-bar is necessary on the end of the car. Preferably the walls 15 of the slot 14 diverge somewhat at the entrance end 16 of the slot, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to afford a guide for the push-bar in entering the slot.

A push-bar 17 is carried by the car and operated from the platform. The push-bar 17 is preferably supported on the truck-frame so as not to be effected by the rocking of the car and is shown as mounted to slide in guide-arms 18 18, secured to the truck-frame of the car.

connecting-link 21 to the lower end of the push-pin 22, projecting through-the platform of the car within convenient reach of the motorman or other operator. 23, one end of which bears against a pin; 2.4: on the push bar and the other end against in its raised position and to return it to such position when the pressure on the push-pin 22 isreleased. I

The mode of operation is as follows: When the operator desires to move the switchtongue, he presses the push-pin 22 with his This forces the push-bar downward and cause the arm 9- to traverse one curve or wave of the sinuous cam-groove 10, thereby causing the rock-shaft 7 to rock or parhereinbefore described. As shown in the drawings, I have formed said cam groove with six sinuous curves; but it will beunderstood that I do not limit myself to such a,con

struction, as a greater or less number of to 'beengaged by the push-bar on the next, succeedingcar. and the'arm into a position at the beginning'of the next curve, which it The upper end of the push-bar is connected by the levers 19 and 20 and the A spiral spring will traverse on the next forward move= ment of the cam-wheel, and thus throw the switch back to the first position. Thus the switch is moved in either direction by the forward movement of the cam-Wheel, and the parts are always in position to move the switch either by hand or by the operating mechanism above described, and the switchtongue will not be locked in position by said operating mechanism. Should the spring 23 become inoperative or the motorman neglect to. remove his foot from the foot-pin 22, the

push-bar will engage the inclined guideway "25 and be forced up into its normal position.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- 1. The combinationfwith a switch-tongue of-a rock-shaft for operating the same, said rock-shaft being provided with a v projecting arm, a cam-wheelprovided'with a cam-groove to engage said arm and thereby rock said shaft to operate the switch, said cam-groove being constructed to permit the operation of the switch-tongue by hand without disconnecting the operating mechanism therefrom.

2. The combination with a switch-tongue of a rock-shaft connected therewith, and provided with an arm, and a cam-wheel provided on one side with a cam-groove to be engaged by said arm and on, the'other side with pro Ljectionsadapted-to be engaged by a bar pro @jecting from a passing car. the guide-arm 1S, acts to hold the push-bar 1 shaft being provided with a projecting arm,

a cam-wheel provided with a cam-groove to engage saidarm and thereby'rock said shaft to operate the switch, the converging por tions of said cam-groove merging into each other.

4. The combination of adepending bar supported by the car, a vertical rotary camwheel provided on one sidewith projections to be engaged by said; bar and on theother' [side with a'cam-gr'oove adapted to engage 5 and actuate switch-operating mechanism.

tially rotate and throw the switch-tongue, as

5 The combination with a switch-tongue of a depending barsupported by'the car,- mech gani'sm tooperate said bar, a vertical rotary ;.cam-whee1 provided on one side with projections-to be engaged by said bar and on the other side with a cam-groove, and a rockshaft connected with the switch-tongueand provided-witha'narm arranged. to be engaged by saidca-m-groove.

6. The combination of a: depending bar supported. by the car, mechanism to operate said bar, a vertical rotary cam-wheel provided on one side with. projections to be en'- gaged by said bar-and on; the other side with cams, a rockeshaft arranged parallel with the track and provided with a pin or arm,a switchtongue, and a connection between said-rockshaft and switch-tong,ue.

7. The combination, with a switch-tongue provided with a projection on its under side,

its

of a connecting-rod, a rock-shaft provided with a projecting arm and arrangedparallel on its opposite side with projections adapted to be engaged by a depending bar supported with the track, a vertical rotary cam-wheel by the car. provided on one side with an endless camgroove having a series of alternating curves with their converging portions merging into each other, said cam-Wheel being provided CHARLES F. LUTHER. Witnesses:

JAMES S. NEWELL, JAMES H. THURSTON. 

